Scubashooters net e mag issue n24 feb 2017

ISSUE

N°24 F E B 2017

PORTFOLIO

Marcello Di Francesco

PAPUA: LIVING ON THE CLOUDS

by S. R iccardo

LEMBEH STRAIT: TOP MUCK DIVING

by F. De Lorenzi

DON’T TOUCH THE CROWN OF THORNS

by DAN Europe

FISHES ON THE MOVE

by F. Turano

MARITIME “REPO MEN”

by I. Urbina

DEEP VISIONS Judges, categories, prizes and sponsors

Dear readers, In the past issues I have been talking about several projects already lined up for the upcoming year 2017. I’m very pleased to announce that some of them have already started and you can see them live on our website. We decided we cannot further ignore the devastation human beings are bringing to our Oceans and for this purpose we launched the Scubashooters Blueline project. This Ocean protection action is born under a good star so to say, and we already have a very important endorsement from Dr Sylvia Earle’ Mission-blue organization. We are very proud of this important partnership which will be further developed in the near future, visit their website at www. mission-blue.org.

A new possibility for our members is that they can now buy their own personal website/portfolio on scubashooters.net. At a very competitive price our programmers will build your personal website to showcase your UW masterpieces and/or have them handy no matter where you are around the globe..

A quick reminder for the late entrants of the Deepvisions 2016 UW contest. Dead line is approaching but you still have some days ahead to include your photos and get the chance to win one of the 35 prizes offered by our sponsors worldwide, don’t miss it.

Thanks again for your support and thanks again for showing your love for the Ocean and for Scubashooters so numerous.

Marino Palla Owner and Founder Scubashooters Network

Cover image “The Christ” By: Marcello Di Francesco

C O N T E N T S 3

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EDITORIAL

by Marino Palla

THE LEMBEH STRAIT

by Franco De Lorenzi

PAPUA (NEW GUINEA), THE ISLAND IN THE CLOUDS

by Sergio Riccardo

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FISHES ON THE MOVE

by Francesco Turano 32

PORTFOLIO Marcello Di Francesco

MARITIME “REPO MEN”: A LAST RESORT FOR STOLEN SHIPS

by Ian Urbina 32

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DON’T TOUCH THE CROWN OF THORNS

by DAN Europe

Editor: FABIO STRAZZI Verein Scubashooters, 8952 Schlieren - Switzerland

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We listen to you!

Deepvisions 2016 deadline moved forward to the

28th of February 2017!

New sponsor enters the pane with a great prize:

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THE LEMBEH STRAIT Words Words and and Pictures Pictures

F Franco ranco D Dee L Lorenzi orenzi

TRAVELS

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14 The first time I arrived in the Lembeh Strait, returning from the Bunaken Marine Park, I thought I had the wrong place.

I came out of a heaven fell to the earth made of white sandy islands, crystal clear sea and palm trees, and now, in front of me, stretched a cargo port seamlessly, and I wondered for a moment what the hell I was doing there. ...not to say that the more experienced underwater photographers had spoken about it!

The idea I had created was typical of the traveler in search of a new haven: loneliness, palm trees, clear water, white beaches, silence and all the corollary of possible images surrounding a naturalistic adventure dream.

I confess that discouragement seized me for a moment. Fortunately, I was wrong...

It happens, in fact, that in this part of the world there are still places that, beside those industrialized and densely populated, can offer just around the corner our eyes can see, unexpected paradises sunken amongst tropical forests, mangroves, fishing villages and a sea of rare wealth, all surrounded by the characteristic and inevitable black volcanic sand.

This is the Lembeh Strait: a contrasting vision of the far north of Indonesia,

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in the long Sulawesi peninsula; 16 km split between an industrial harbor and the equatorial forest, towered by the extinct Klabat volcano at whose foot the pace of life is still naturally beaten by the sun’s rising and setting.

Small and large boats cross the strait constantly at any time of day or night.

These boats carry everything the residents, mostly fishermen or workers at the large commercial and industrial port, need.

For centuries, because of its geographical location, it was first a natural refuge for many ships from around the world, and now is an essential destination for the exchange of goods by sea.

The port is located in Bitung, a typical Asian seaside city, offering all kinds of traffic, smells, curious looks, sounds, realities, religions and contradictions.

And everything goes through the waters of these two shores of 16km per side, renowned around the globe for their incredible variety of marine animals, which became a mandatory destination for biologists, underwater photographers and video reporters. It is believed that the strait is one of the areas on the planet with the highest biodiversity concentration.

The crossing of the ocean currents coming from the Moluccas Sea and the Celebes Sea generates a planktonic concentration ideal for maintaining and developing of marine life conditions among the most intense and diverse on earth.

My opinion, unsupported by research or studies and therefore questionable, but not far from reality, is that this rich biodiversity depends precisely from the industrial port and the traffic of fishing boats from the nearby Philippine and Malaysian waters.

Ships from all over the world, with their keels, become a natural means of transportation for eggs or alien organisms in this aerial. In addition, these same ships, during the cleaning of their holds, sometimes discharge in the Strait waters coming from different and distant seas, containing marine life

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in the larval stage.

Nature then will do the rest: if environmental conditions are favorable to new biological materials, the eggs or spores will give way to a new water population and the more these conditions are favorable, the quicker the process. Otherwise, it will happen exactly what usually happens in nature when there are no favorable conditions: the extinction.

The attempt to give the idea of the Lembeh Strait through a few shots is quite restrictive.

Encyclopedias are not enough to pay tribute to this corner of the world; therefore, my goal is just to share the small and great astonishments these waters gave me.

Going perhaps against the current, I would like to show you this Ocean corner through the lenses of a compact camera, demonstrating that anyone can get good results with poor equipment, affordable for everyone.

Where to dive? The Lembeh Strait has only the spoilt for choice and the bestknown sites like Nudifall, TK1 or 2, Airprang, Pulau Maka Widi, Magic Rock and many others will certainly be among the destinations offered by your resort,

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wrecks included.

However, I would recommend (if you love the spirit of research) to observe the coast and venture out looking for less obvious and maybe never visited places: the result could give you enormous surprises.

Talk with your guides and tell them what you are looking for, and their preparation will surprise you. Find out the best time in the year to enjoy the utmost visibility, but do not avoid no season, since every month is right for seasonal or new encounters.

Giosim, although being a newborn in the world of Underwater housings already distinguish itself for the hi specifications and standards of its production.

Here’s some information about the Canon 1200d Underwater Housing; it has been tested down to 100mt (330 ft ).

All controls feature a double ring for maximum safety against flooding, interchangeable ports fit onto the housing thanks to an aluminum ring to maximize security and rigidity Two optical fiber sockets allow use of a wide variety of strobes.

The overall construction quality and materials have been developed for reliability and maximum performance We can build the housing customizing it to your preferred color We studied the housing so to offer maximum ergonomics for both controls and handles, everything is within the reach of your fingers and you can change the camera settings while composing the image through the viewfinder.

Three stainless steel hooks grant for maximum safety when we come to close our camera inside the housing. Different ports are available: aluminum macro port with different rings to fit all macro lenses available on the market and crystal dome for wideangle lenses. We can custom build your port to fit all your needs Every housing is fitted with humidity sensor and alarm for early flooding detection. web site: www.gio-sim.com

Enjoy your passion.

We make it possible.

Via Milano 177/B 37014 Castelnuovo d/G Verona - ITALY 0039 45 6450480 info@isotecnic.it

PORTFOLIO

Marcello Di Francesco

PORTFOLIO

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34 Born in La Spezia in 1975, Marcello is scuba instructor; freelance photographer specialized in underwater naturalistic image and enthusiastic traveler.

In over 10 years of activity he has collected about 1500 dives around the most beautiful countries and sea bottoms of the world: Indonesia, Micronesia, Maldives, Philippines, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Tanzania, Madagascar are just some of the places he visited and photographed during these years.

Only in 2008 he began to approach the world of underwater photography using Canon equipment right away, first with the compact Power Shot type up to the current set consisting of Canon 5D mk III, Canon 7D mk II and different lenses.

Housings, ports and portholes Nauticam.

He usually carries on his activities in dive sites between Liguria and Tuscany, mainly diving in the waters of the Gulf of Poets in La Spezia, in the Marine Park of Portofino, in that of the 5 Terre or among the many shipwrecks that are located in the area between Savona, Genoa and Sestri Levante. In recent years, he dedicated himself successfully to the world of photo contests, achieving numerous awards and placings in major events of underwater and naturalistic photography of the world. Among the many awards at National and International level, surely stand out the recent achievements to the Sony awards and to the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2015 in London.

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Today Marcello is Federal Judge for the FIPSAS (Italian Federation of Fishing Sports and Underwater Activities) for the National digital underwater photography competitions, and has been repeatedly called to be part of national and international juries in several underwater photography contests.

He regularly collaborates with some Italian and foreign magazines in the field: his photos and reportages have been published on Mondo Sommerso, Il Subacqueo, Scuba Magazine, Tauchen, EZdive, Scuba Zone, Asian Diver and many more. He works closely with some tour operators specialized in dive holidays, organizing photographic trips and expeditions.

From 2013 Marcello is part of the image team for Nauticam Italy, famous company based in Hong Kong, specialized in designing and manufacturing of professional underwater housings for photo / video. He also works closely to several promotional projects and equipment testing, thanks to the synergy with Digital Media Service, Italian dealer for the major international brands of underwater image related equipment.

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In 2014, together with other underwater photographers, he founded the IUPS - Italian Underwater Photography Society, whose mission is to promote and enhance the photographic culture linked to the underwater image in the beautiful country.

IUPS tries to develop awareness about underwater environment and the related ecological problems and promotes, through photographic excellence, conservation initiatives of the Italian coasts, rivers, lakes and seas.

In 2016 began his collaboration with Fisheye, Japanese company specializing in underwater lighting, becoming FIX NEO AMBASSADOR for the entire product line.

Website: www.marcellodifrancesco.com Nauticam Italia: www.nauticam.it FixNeo: www.fixneo.com | www.fisheye-jp.com

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DON’T TOUCH THE CROWN OF THORNS This starfish (Acanthaster planci) has its meaningful name for a reason! However, if you did, go to hospital right away. You will need immediate medical attention. Waiting only makes it worse!

It’s a beautiful sunny day and Nelly*, a dive instructor, takes her four experienced divers for a dive along a spectacular wall close to the dive resort, located in one very remotely tropical island in South East Sulawesi, Indonesia. The dive is very nice and relaxed, without any current. All goes well until, towards the end of the dive, while turning around to signal the divers to go up after the safety stop, Nelly accidentally hits a crown-of-thorns starfish with her right hand’s index finger and gets stung deeply by three venomous spines. On board she removes the spines, cleans her hand, putting it in hot water and finally disinfects the wound with Betadine. The pain is excruciating. Despite this first aid treatment, on the following day her finger is worse and swollen. As the island is very remote, there are no doctors. However, she doesn’t call DAN immediately and starts a self-administered treatment, first with Ibuprofen and later during the night, with a penicillin- like antibiotic, as her finger is getting worse. Still, considering the circumstances, Nelly is quite well-off: no nausea or vomiting, and her wounds are small, affecting only half of her index finger with adjacent swelling of the hand.

As the antibiotic cannot act effectively at this stage, her finger is even more swollen the next day. An American surgeon among the guests says she needs to fly to Bali for decent hospital treatment if the finger isn’t getting any better within the next 24 hours. However, quickly leaving the island is a challenge.

Planes come and go only once a week. But Nelly is lucky. Only three days after the incident there is a plane to Bali: she now contacts DAN Europe and, after authorisation to cover her travel and medical expenses, she takes off.

Once in Bali, she visits the international hospital in Denpasar. They diagnose a secondary infection due to contact with marine life and prescribe her more antibiotics (clindamycin) and an army of painkillers.

Within the next two weeks she has to stay in Bali as outpatient and returns to the hospital several times. The secondary infection has built an abscess which they have to open and conduct a lab examination upon. Despite the antibiotics, the finger isn’t getting any better. An X-ray finally reveals that there are still traces of spines embedded in her hand’s soft tissue! Over the following four

days the finger is cut open twice and more antibiotics and painkillers are prescribed. Nelly still can’t fly back to Sulawesi and has to get back to hospital for an emergency treatment.

Finally, three weeks later, with the doctor’s ‘OK’ Nelly is on her way back to the little island and starts diving again.

A month later, Nelly is back at the hospital in Bali for a follow-up visit on the wound debridement. Situation has worsened: her finger is still stiff, red and swollen, and she feels pulsating pain. She has kept applying antibiotic ointment and two of the three wounds have actually healed, but the third one is giving her trouble. Movement of her finger is limited, she feels numbness, but, luckily, there is no pus in the wound. The hospital’s surgeon needs to check if a foreign body is still inside the tissue. A new X-ray reveals that there is still a foreign body inside the soft tissue of Nelly’s finger, causing the swelling and ongoing inflammation.

Again, another 14 days(!) as outpatient in Denpasar. An orthopedic surgeon re-opens the wound. Luckily, no osteomyelitis – infection of the bone – is present, but the story has been dragging on for almost two months now... and this all because of three little spines. *** Five months later, in Italy, it’s just another busy workday in the life of Julia S., Case Manager at DAN Europe, who has now started reading her emails. At the same time, in a small, beautiful island on the west coast of Thailand, a diving paradise, Tessa, a Finnish dive instructor is in despair. During her dive she accidentally hits a crown-of-thorns starfish with her entire arm. Her hand starts bleeding heavily. Shortly afterwards it becomes numb with really hard pain.

Nausea starts within a few minutes. On the boat, she puts her hand and arm in hot water for an hour. However, the hand is swollen and the skin marbled all the way to the elbow. Back on land, she seeks help at a local clinic. The doctor prescribes her antibiotics but has no idea of what the crown-of-thorns is.

Tessa is being treated as if she had touched a sea urchin.

Later, back in the resort, she decides to send an email to DAN Europe about her injury, and it’s Julia who receives it. When she reads “stung by the crownof-thorns starfish”, she immediately remembers Nelly’s case and is instantly on high alert. She grabs her phone and calls Tessa to check her current status: her voice is very weak, she can’t even stay awake. Julia gets the impression that the girl is close to faint, and tells her that she needs to seek decent medical help in Phuket, immediately. Julia remembers Nelly’s case and, aware of the much larger injury Tessa has, she knows she has to act quickly. What she usually does in an emergency like this, is calling ‘Doc’. No matter if day or night, Sunday or Christmas. This one goes directly through to Alessandro Marroni, President, CEO and Chief Medical Officer of DAN Europe, one of the most experienced Diving Medicine Specialists in the world. Prof. Marroni gives Julia immediate authorization to an urgent medical evacuation, as he fears Tessa will go into anaphylactic shock, a possible and life-threatening allergic reaction to the starfish’s venom.

However, meanwhile in Thailand, after an awful night with increased pain, nausea, vomiting, extreme sleepiness and headaches, Tessa’s friends take her

DAN EUROPE

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58 job well – Julia and Doc Marroni. A good morning – back in safety.

The ambulance had arrived the night before, they put Tessa on an intravenous drip and brought her, escorted by a nurse, to the hospital in Phuket, where the following medical treatments were fully covered by DAN. She received all medical attention she needed, as her symptoms were serious (nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and fever), her left hand and wrist were swollen, she suffered severe pain and her

to another doctor in what is called a first standard clinic close by. Unfortunately, not even this doctor knows the crown-of-thorns starfish, but he looks it up on Google. Tessa gets another antibiotic, this time applied intravenously, and is told to come back and repeat this treatment within the next few days. She is actually running out of time and options.

At the same time, at DAN Europe’s offices telephone lines between Italy and Thailand are running hot. Tessa’s evacuation is being organized, there is just one piece of information still missing – the address. Where exactly is the girl staying? If the ambulance can’t find the girl, the mission will be lost – and Tessa possibly too.

Fortunately, however, everything runs smoothly this time, and Tessa wakes up in a bed at the Intensive Care Unit of the international hospital in Phuket – evacuated by DAN Europe, as ordered by two very concerned people, who did their

arm, hand and fingers were paralyzed. Lymphagitis and left axillary lymphadenitis were present – a signal that her immune system was pretty occupied. A surgeon opened the wounds and removed all thorns. She was on heavy medication with dexamethasone and clindamycin given intravenously, every 8 hours. Since she had lost a lot of fluids, she was also put on an IV drip for fluid replacement.

Later she was able to start moving her fingers again.

At hospital discharge – 6 days after the incident – Tessa’s hand was still numb but she felt happy again. The bill for her 5-day inpatient treatment amounted to 6,000 EUR. Amazing, the huge costs a little starfish can cause! There will still be numbness in Tessa’s hand a couple of months later. Even five months after the injury occurred, two fingers had not regained sensitivity yet. Healing is a long process.

Tessa’s nine-page-long medical report and the extensive list of different drugs demonstrate that the hospital in Phuket took really good care of her. One more proof that DAN Europe’s international emergency, medical and assistance network is in excellent shape. This network was created and is still managed by the people from DAN Europe who strive to do their best, just like Julia, the Case Manager. She speaks several languages, she is a certified dive instructor and has travelled the oceans around South East Asia many times. It takes people like Doc Marroni and Julia to make a difference and make things happen – even from a distance. In an emergency, quick decision-making, good judgement and experience is crucial for an effective case management. These people spared Tessa a lot of pain, unnecessarily prolonged suffering and debilitating, life-threatening illness. They act likewise and do their best in any other case, in any emergency.

Info-Box I: Lessons learned Put your health first. Take an incident with the crown-of-thorns starfish seriously. Seek help immediately. Otherwise, it will get worse and then you may not be

60 able to travel to a decent hospital by yourself anymore. Debridement of spines is mandatory. Spines can only be located by ultrasound or X-ray. The wounded side will swell quickly. Needless to say, this kind of injury stops any scuba diving activity.

There are obvious limitations of self-treatment in an incident with the crown-ofthorns starfish. An injury like this will require surgical intervention, always. The spines easily break off and stick in the tissue, releasing the venom. The inflammation is ongoing because the body tries to get rid of a foreign body and fight the venom at the same time. Nelly’s story shows that the wound will not heal as long as the foreign body (filled with venom) is still inside the tissue. On the other hand, Tessa’s case shows that quick and adequate medical intervention can shorten the suffering effectively.

Info-Box II: Acanthaster planci Other names: Sea Star or Venomous Starfish. Being littered with some 6 cm long and sharp spines, filled with venom, it looks pretty vicious. Its 6 to 23 arms and average diameter of 40-60 cm add to this appearance. Its mainly red color may be understood as a warning sign related to its venomousness. Its effective defensive system makes it to an impressive survivor with almost no predatory enemy of its own. Its home is where the most beautiful dive spots are – in the tropical zones of the entire Indo-pacific (Philippines, Indonesia, Great Barrier Reef in Australia); besides this, it is also found in the Red Sea and Central American coastal areas, generally in coral reef regions. Beware! This starfish means double trouble. Prevention is your best friend. You may protect yourself by wearing shoes and/or boots, gloves, other protective clothing, like thick neoprene.

Info-Box III: Medical excursion Cortisone (ointment) is a possible first aid self-medication that can be used to mitigate the symptoms of a contact dermatitis from touching the starfish’s spines.

Antibiotics and cortisone cannot help the wound to heal properly as long as pieces of venomous spines are still embedded in the tissue. Only after debridement and disinfecting the wounds, the use of appropriate antibiotics and cortisone is reasonable to promote the healing process.

PAPUA (NEW GUINEA), THE ISLAND IN THE CLOUDS Words and Pictures

Sergio Riccardo

TRAVELS

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66 Located between Indonesia and Australia, on the equator. A land covered for three quarters by rainforest and mountains over 4,000 meters. They called it “the island in the clouds�, because at dawn and dusk, in the Highlands, between clouds and mists only sprout tops of mountains covered in jungle.

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70 A jungle hiding a primitive world, a paradise of nature populated by countless species of birds, butterflies and flowers that make the environment of the big island unique, and where cannibalism is probably still practiced and the law of retaliation applied regularly.

Those traveling in Papua New Guinea plunges into a completely different reality from the everyday.

Definitely, it will be paid off every uneasiness: what places in the world can offer together a wild and unspoiled nature, dream coral islands, a primitive village life, the colors and the sounds of the sing-sing and an incredible variety of handicrafts. Here are 769 different ethnic groups, speaking as many 769 dialects.

It is a country in the balance between prehistory and third millennium, with Aborigines dressed in grass skirts, noses pierced by animal bones, painted faces, and the inhabitants of the capital Port Moresby, the front door of modernity, now accustomed to using any electronic products.

Nevertheless, it is to diving enthusiasts that Papua New Guinea sets aside unforgettable surprises, thanks to the beauty and variety of its incomparably beautiful seabed. Into its waters we can make some of the most spectacular diving in the world on extremely different backdrops, which alternate offshore pinnacles to walls covered in soft corals and sea fans, air

and naval wrecks of World War II to channels where the large pelagic fishes reign uncontested and finally, being located in the heart of the Indus Pacific Ocean, an incredible biodiversity that makes the joy of macro photography enthusiasts. To realize this reportage, we visited the major areas of underwater naturalistic interest: the Kimbe Bay and the Sea of Bismark, Kavieng, and finally the Milne Bay. THE KIMBE BAY AND THE SEA OF BISMARK The reefs around Walindi, in the Bismarck Sea, is extraordinarily rich.

Over 400 species of coral and 900 species of fish have been classified in these waters.

Much more than half the world’s species. The meetings with trevally and barracuda, tuna and kingfish, eagle rays and turtles are routine. All framed by huge sea fans, giant sponges, soft corals of every color and crinoids, among which you can indulge in search of the inhabitants the most hidden: frogfish, leaf scorpion fish, and ghost pipefish. The water is generally clear and the current is never strong.

Ideal conditions for underwater video and photography enthusiasts.

There are several dive sites particularly suited to the ambient photography: SUSAN’S REEF, where between 10 and 20 meters we find enormous sea fans, large sponges and large whip coral bundles.

SOUTH EMMA, with its natural arches on which grow splendid sea fans covered with multi-colored crinoids and where, at a depth of about 38 meters, opens an impressive through-cave covered with colorful soft corals and sea fans.

And also VANESSA REEF, characterized by its huge elephant ear sponges. ENGLISH SHOAL, kingdom of pelagic such as jacks, barracuda and sharks circling the shoal.

Nevertheless, definitely there’s not a lack of places where lovers of macro photography can indulge themselves in search of the subjects most rare and difficult to capture. Along the reefs of REST ORF Island, also ideal

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74 clown fish, shrimps, gobies sprouting from the sand with small crustaceans and rare ghost-fish. To the south of the island, there’s DONNA’S REEF, also a place for macro photography enthusiasts and of biological interest.

FATHER’S REEFS, reachable only by cruise, represent a paradise for wide-angle photos. Is a group of more reefs in the open sea to the north - east of Kimbe, along the northern coast of New Britain. Being located far off from the coast, these reefs attract many species of pelagic fish such as sharks, tuna, barracuda and jack fish shoals.

THE ARCH is probably one of the most famous dives in the area. A natural arch, a little less than 30 meters deep, covered with soft coral and sea fans. JAYNE’S GULLY is instead a channel located between two reefs, where gray reef sharks and silver

tips sharks make the show, whizzing among soft corals.

KAVIENG The dives in Kavieng, a locality in New Ireland, a narrow and mountainous island that closes to the northeast the Bismarck Sea, are slightly different and more challenging. Some dives are performed on offshore shoals, others into channels.

The current is often impetuous and consequently all the Kavieng area is the undisputed realm of large predators: jackfish, barracuda, gray and silver tip sharks, and groups of eagle rays that allow you to get closer and take pictures with relative ease. Moreover, in these waters you can also effect interesting wrecks dives, some of which date back to World War II. Among the most interesting ones, to sig-

76 the wreckage of a MITSHUBISHI “JAKE”. This Japanese aircraft of World War II is located on a sandy bottom at only 10 meters deep. The incredible beauty of PLANET CHANNEL seabed is truly unique: the western part of this channel is called Eagle Ray Passage, for the presence on schools of eagle rays during periods of strong currents. Black coral and sea fans cover the main channel, which is the habitat of jacks, barracuda and sharks. ALBATROS CHANNEL, instead, is a narrow strait between two islands where you can find pelagic and reef fish and also, depending on the current, eagle rays, manta rays, tuna, barracuda and reef sharks. However, in this dive we will not find only large fish. Indeed, among large sea fans, black corals and sponges, are hiding small nudibranchs and pygmy seahorses.

THE MILNE BAY The Milne Bay is located at the extreme southeastern tip of Papua, where the waters of three seas rich of life mix: the Bismarck Sea to the north, the Solomon Sea and the Coral Sea to the south. Consequently, around the many islands forming the Milne Bay, you can make beautiful dives between huge sea fans, soft corals, sponges and many fish species. The characteristic of dives in this area consists of the “MUCK DIVES”: literally, dives in the muck. Among these, the most spectacular is definitely that of LAUADI, an inlet on the coast where the forest comes down from the steep mountains and reaches the

lying on the right side at 30 meters deep. Around the wreck, approximately 40 m long, often swim shoals of barracuda and batfish and the seabed, although mostly sandy, is rich in sea fans and coral formations. Another highlight is

black beach. From the muddy bottom in front of the beach, only 10 meters deep, flows out an unbelievable multitude of nudibranchs, small crustaceans

78 of the jungle in front create surreal effects.

Not to be missed, and of major effect, is also the dive at GIANTS AT HOME, which is a permanent cleaning station of the giant manta rays arriving in groups of 4 or 5 specimen at a time and alternating for several minutes near a big submerged rock, a few meters deep on a sandy bottom.

fish, including the Mandarin fish. Just a few minutes by dinghy from the beach, you can make another dive with completely different characteristics: large sea fans only 10 meters deep, where the sunlight filtering through the trees

Discovered in ‘98, this dive site has quickly become a regular destination of the world’s most important television crews for making documentaries on the species. A real “Must” for manta rays’ lovers. One of the most unforgettable dives remains that of “BLACK JACK” wreck, a bomber of World War II that is definitely one of the most beautiful and well-preserved aircraft wrecks existing in the world. The plane was on a mission when, because of a failure during a storm, was forced to effect a sea landing in front of the village of Boga Boga. The two pilots and the rest of the crew survived, while the aircraft sank on a sandy bottom at about 50 meters. The dive is pretty easy: you go down along a rope fastened to the wall, to which are hung the Nitrox cylinders for decompression stops. The plane, a four-engine, remained completely intact. There is nearly everything: engines, the original equipment, the head and tail machine guns and the pilot’s seat with the joystick.

HIGHLANDS and TARI VALLEY The beating heart of PAPUA NEW GUINEA remains the land of the Huli, the TARI VALLEY, in the HIGHLANDS. An area rich with stunning waterfalls and breathtaking rainforest scenery. Here, immersed in the jungle, you will encounter the villages of the Huli. An indigenous population, discovered only in 1930, of about one million people who lives in a remote area, away from

80 modern civilization, just as his ancestors lived, in round houses with thatched roofs. It’s friendly people with a strong culture, rich in tradition and with a rather “thin” civilization.

They are small in stature, proportionate and very colorful.

Currency.

The rate of exchange against Euro is: 1 Euro is worth about 3.5 Kina. Updated at 03 Nov 16.

In any case, is definitely better to leave home the Euro. The rate of exchange against US dollar: 1 USD = 3.1 Kina.

Entry documents.

Passport valid for at least six months.

They live in family groups divided between men and women. The male children live with their mothers until they’re seven years old, and then move with their fathers. Everybody paint their face with bright colors and decorate the body in a spectacular way.

They use bracelets of plant fibers decorated with bird feathers, and necklaces made of seeds, shells and animal bones. They have a piercing in the nose made with animal bones or bamboo, and wear skirts made of leaves. You can admire them while performing their traditional tribal dances within their villages. The name Wigmen, which means “men with wig,” comes from their custom of wearing very elaborate wigs, which also derive from ancestral traditions. These wigs are a source of great pride for the Huli. It is a nation of fierce warriors. All men have old scars from arrow wounds. They are charming; you have to see to believe. I highly recommend visiting them before the civilization change them out too far.

A trip to Papua New Guinea will result in probable discomfort, high cost of services, significant fatigue due to long hours of flight and large numbers of transfers, but definitely will leave an impression lasting for life.

USEFUL TIPS How to get there.

You can reach Papua New Guinea with the convenient flights operated by SINGAPORE AIRLINES, plying regularly Rome and the main European airports with Singapore. Arrived in Singapore, the trip continues with Air Niugini to reach the capital PORT MORESBY, which then connects to Alotau or Hoskins airports, or to the live aboard ports of embarkation in Kimbe or Milne Bay.

Customs formalities.

It is prohibited to export handicrafts previous to 1960 and the birds-of-paradise’s feathers.

The use, sale or just possession of drugs is severely punished by law.

Electricity.

Electricity is 240 volts AC 50 Hz. Plugs are of Australian Type (3

plates).

Local time.

9 hours more than in Italy. Become 8 when Italy applies DST. Clothing

Fresh or cotton summer dresses, sun protection cream, sunglasses for the beach.

Climate The climate is hot and humid and temperatures range from 23 ° to 32 ° C. The rainy season lasts from December to late March. From April to November it is the driest period, although the showers are quite likely. The best time is during the months of October and November.

Vaccinations and health regulations.

Safety

No vaccinations required. Malaria prophylaxis is recommended only to those who plan to stay in the hinterland. Mosquito spray repellent and long dresses are appropriate precautions.

It is recommended to pay attention to the prohibitions and avoid attending any discussions between the various local tribes. Foreigners and tourists are not usually involved, but it is recommended to leave the place of turmoil.

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FISHES ON THE MOVE Words and Pictures

Francesco Turano

MARINE BIOLOGY

86

88 In the liquid element, movement is influenced primarily by the resistance of the mean, which is eight hundred times greater than the air. Something not of little importance. Any diver will immediately notice the resistance he encounters in moving into water.

That said, think about fishes: they are tied to that world and their movements are strongly influenced by the water, that is from the liquid element density.

This premise to cover a whole series of peculiarities relating to swimming of animals such as fishes which, over time, have evolved on the planet developing a range of more than satisfactory solutions, in function of different habitats and life choices.

When men faced for the first time the problems of hydrodynamics, took cue from fish movements. Their tapered shape and the way they swim are always aimed to achieve maximum results with minimum effort. Based on the dietary needs and habits of life, fishes species have each developed a different way of moving. Needless to say, the fishes most skilled and fast in swimming are those having an aspect closest to fusiform, i.e., tunas and sharks. Even the most of the other fishes are close to this classic form, but there are many situations and environments which see fishes with strange shapes, sometimes very little suitable for a quick swim and anything but hydrodynamic.

However, even a flounder, flat and adapted to the sandy bottom, or a tub gurnard, with wing-like fins and singular swimming, become some of the many

90 examples that show how various is the fishes’ way of swimming in the wild, and how some species remain even motionless, moving only occasionally in function of precise needs.

It’s a fact, then, that not all fishes are swimming in the same way, and one of the most important things to consider is the shape of the body and fins. The observations on the spot, a privilege of those who dive in a conscious way to observe, study and understand while photographing, allows us to reach out and touch many peculiarities of the movement and to grasp the differences between one species and another. If we take a series of pictures in sequence (even better a video), we realize that the movement of a fish is the result of a series of flexion of the body and is primarily generated from the tail.

The side muscles are the engine and thus the fishes with well-developed muscles are those most powerful and fast in swimming. Nevertheless, fishes also need other movements beyond the forward propulsion: they need to

92 back off, to make a turn and always face different situations with ease. For all these movements, different from proper propulsion, the fins come into play.

Knowing the fins becomes important to understand what they are for, how they are used and what kind of movements are possible depending on the shape and size of the fins themselves.

Practical experience and direct observations in the wild lead me inevitably to use some examples to better explain some concepts. If we observe a grouper, a fish who loves different environments and is lazy swimmer, with exceptions, we immediately understand that its passion is to linger and observe what is happening around, maintaining a stable position in open water.

To do so, it mostly uses its large rounded pectoral fins and partly the dorsal and anal fins, as well as the tail (the fin that perhaps is the most important of all). In case of doubt or signs of imminent dangers, groupers bring the pectoral fins along the sides, and with strong movements of the tail perform rapid shifts, with a significant propulsion linked to the remarkable size of the caudal fin. Many serranids move in this way and, in large groupers, the sudden movement of the tail generates a displacement of water masses perceptible

by the diver. The grouper maintains a fusiform body shape, even if it has a head larger than the rest of the body, and despite its lazy nature, it’s an excellent swimmer.

94 Otherwise, there are fishes such as scorpion fish or stonefish, whose form is squat and stocky, very lazy and listless swimmers. However, they have large pectoral fins and large tails, which allow rapid and jerky movements in case of danger and amazing turns, with sudden changes of direction. Watching them is a unique experience especially when, tired of our presence in the area, they rise laboriously to swim toward more peaceful places. Another particularly static fish is the frogfish, with pectoral fins that look almost real limbs (similar to frog’s legs, to be precise).

the unusual shape of butterfly fishes, so called because of the shape and bright colors, decent swimmers but never too fast. Another example of how the body shape and fins are the key in the study of fish movement. Even the triggerfishes swim in a curious way: in principle, they exploit the dorsal and anal fins, very similar and counter-posed in comparable position, with which they perform these continuous waving movements, allowing the fish grand maneuvers and quick changes of direction.

Funny in the appearance, this little fish moves very slowly and seems as if it

In open water always swim the fastest fishes, such as many representatives of breams and wrasses and several species of pelagic, including amberjacks, tunas, dorado, marlin, sailfishes and, of course, sharks. All fishes with big fins and very powerful tails. Returning to the benthic species, the primacy of the more curious swimming style is for blennies, small fishes without scales very curious and friendly, tapered and with almost eel-like swimming style. Observing the blennies making small movements around the bottom, to which they are inextricably linked, is a unique spectacle. In particular, the big Mediterranean butterfly blenny deserves a special mention for being one of the few blennies able to swim in open water and deal decisively with divers, especially during the brooding of the eggs.

There are then a whole series of fish with fins in the shape of wings. Beautiful fins that serve to glide in the vicinity of sandy bottoms. The tub gurnard, but also the owl fish, keep these large extremities generally closed, opening them only when they need to move over long distances. In fact, they generally love moving slowly, preferring contact with the seabed, according to their continuous wandering in search of food. The observation of the fish swimming would deserve constant attention and constant study. There are not enough words to describe what is happening under the eyes of the attentive diver.

Nevertheless, maybe some pictures can tell about what amazing spectacle the sea is.

is walking instead of swimming. But in terms of absolute laziness, the winner is the seahorse, the only fish with virtually nonexistent tail fin, replaced by a prehensile tail, used as if it was the tail of a chameleon, for a secure grip to various handholds on the seabed. The seahorse swims very rarely and to do so uses the dorsal fin and the frantic and small pectoral fins. However, his life is very static, which allows you to observe it for long periods and to photograph all situations with ease.

With the mouth similar to that of a seahorse, but constantly moving in open water, there are the rather small Mediterranean trumpet fishes, always passionately together to form schools of many individuals, capable of frantic movements and skilled in a unique swimming style upside down. Anyone who has observed the environments of coral reefs will have then noticed

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MARITIME “REPO MEN”: A LAST RESORT FOR STOLEN SHIPS A great reportage by:

Ian Urbina (New York Times) MIRAGOÂNE, Haiti — In Greece, Max Hardberger posed as an interested buyer, in Haiti as a port official, in Trinidad, a shipper. He has plied guards with booze and distracted them with prostitutes; spooked port police officers with witch doctors and duped night watchmen into leaving their posts. His goal: to get on board a vessel he is trying to retrieve and race toward the 12-mile line where the high seas begin and local jurisdiction ends.

Mr. Hardberger is among a handful of maritime “repo men” who handle the toughest of grab-and-dash jobs in foreign harbors, usually on behalf of banks, insurers or shipowners. A last-resort solution to a common predicament, he is called when a vessel has been stolen, its operators have defaulted on their mortgage or a ship has been fraudulently detained by local officials.

“When we show up, things go missing,” said Mr. Hardberger.

Tens of thousands of boats or ships are stolen around the world each year, and many become part of a global “phantom fleet” involved in a broad range of crimes. Phantom vessels are frequently used in Southeast Asia for human trafficking, piracy and illegal fishing, in the Caribbean for smuggling guns and drugs, and in the Middle East and North Africa to transport fighters or circumvent arms or oil embargoes, according to Rear Adm. Christopher Parry, a maritime security expert formerly with Britain’s Royal Navy.

Usually the vessels are not recovered because they are difficult to find on the vast oceans, the search is too expensive and the ships often end up in ports with uncooperative or corrupt officials.

But sometimes, when the boat or ship is more valuable, firms like Mr. Hardberger’s Vessel Extractions in New Orleans are hired to find it. His company occasionally handles jobs involving megayachts, but more often the targets are small-to-medium cargo ships that carry goods between developing countries with poor or unstable governments.

To the local port authorities and law enforcement officials in foreign countries, Mr. Hardberger and his ilk are vigilantes who erode the rule of law in places that are struggling to establish it. “They deserve to be arrested,” Louhandy Brizard, 27, a Haitian Coast Guard officer, said about repo men during a sea patrol looking for stolen boats.

Charles N. Dragonette, who monitored maritime crime for the United States Office of Naval Intelligence until 2012, said that he believes that Mr. Hardberger follows whatever rules exist. But, he added, “I do worry about how these guys

REPORTAGE

112

114 undercut local authorities, embarrassing them by stealing ships from under their noses, and worsening the overall corruption problem by paying bribes to local helpers to pull off these heists.”

Most recoveries of stolen boats and maritime repossessions are ho-hum affairs, typically involving paperwork and banks working with local law enforcement.

But when negotiations fail, waterborne jailbreaks sometimes occur.

Charles Meacham, a maritime repo man based in Jacksonville, Fla., recounted how his teams spirited hundreds of boats out of a marina in Mexico in 2009 after they were stolen from Florida by a drug cartel, a move that won him a bounty on his head. Court papers describe a job that Mr. Hardberger handled in 2009, where he retrieved a freighter called the Virgin Express I from the Dominican Republic, boarding it by pretending to be a shipper, then sailing the ship to the Turks and Caicos Islands, where he handed it over to the mortgage holder.

Citing past assignments in Cuba, Egypt, Ghana, Honduras, Trinidad, Venezuela and elsewhere, Mr. Meacham and a half dozen others in the industry said that they each get on average one or two “extraction” requests per year. John Dalby, chief executive officer of Marine Risk Management, said his firm is currently working for a consortium of banks to repossess a fleet of more than a dozen freighters from nearly as many ports around the world. “They have to be taken all at once or else several will run,” he said.

A review of contracts and court records from some of these extraction jobs and interviews with repo men, insurance investigators and coast guard officers show that lawlessness offshore sometimes extends from corruption onshore.

These documents and comments shed light on the array of ploys used to steal, seize, extort and recover ships. They also reveal how maritime repo men — and the scheming debtors, dodgy port mechanics, testy guards, disgruntled crews and dishonest port officials that they are hired to outwit — take advantage of the lack of policing and jurisdictional ambiguity of the open ocean.

The public perception of modern piracy usually involves Somalis in fast-boats capturing tankers on the high seas. “More often overlooked but just as prevalent is white-collar piracy,” Admiral Parry said. Buccaneers in business suits hijack ships in port through opportunistic ruses rather than at sea with surprise shows of force.

Consumers are affected by the theft and corruption because it adds millions of dollars to transport costs and insurance rates, raising sticker prices more than 10 percent, maritime researchers say.

Most corrupt detentions in port consist of “squeeze and release” bilking schemes intended to get bribes, said Douglas Lindsay, the lead partner with Maritime Resolve, a recovery firm based in England. “But squeeze long enough and you strangle,” Mr. Lindsay said. Shipping businesses can go bankrupt as cargo spoils, delivery deadlines pass and owed wages accumulate. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/29/world/americas/maritime-repo-men-alast-resort-for-stolen-ships.html?_r=0

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